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2:00 pm

Sat August 27, 2011

This week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke slammed political gamesmanship and one Republican on the congressional supercommittee suggested that tax breaks on everyday Americans could be allowed to lapse. Host Laura Sullivan speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about these stories and others.

The Two-Way

1:30 pm

Sat August 27, 2011

But please, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) just told 600 senior citizens who live in Atlantic City: Let the state evacuate you before Hurricane Irene slams into the high-rise buildings where you live.

The residents have so far refused to leave.

Christie said the state is going to send buses to the seniors' buildings in the hopes they can be convinced to go to inland shelters.

It took a U.S.-led invasion force of more than 200,000 troops nine months to scour Iraq's nearly 170,000 square miles before they captured Saddam Hussein, in one of the largest manhunts ever.

Now, Moammar Gadhafi is on the run in Libya â but chasing after him is a much smaller and less well-equipped force of Libyan rebels. They're trying to track down a fugitive who, like Saddam, is well-armed, well-funded and capable of winning popular support and sowing instability simply by evading his pursuers.

Libyan rebels fought to gain control of a major supply road to Tripoli on Saturday, seizing a border crossing with Tunisia and strengthening their hold on the oil-rich country as they hunt for Moammar Gadhafi.

Controlling the road from the Tunisian border to the capital would help ease growing shortages of fuel and food, particularly in the battle-scarred city.

As Hurricane Irene makes its way north, insurance companies are scrambling to get claims adjusters and other personnel in place up and down the East Coast and into New England.

Companies will be assessing the damage once Irene is through battering the northeastern states. If the hurricane hits as wide an area as is predicted, insured losses could be in the billions of dollars.

On the boardwalk of Ocean City, Md., Tony Russo Jr. is boarding up the windows of his family's restaurant, Tony's Pizza.

Hoping to convince anyone who is ignoring the mandatory evacuation orders for those living in New York City's low-lying areas, Mayor Michael Bloomberg just warned that if anyone hasn't already moved to higher ground, "you have to start right now."

Sports

7:00 am

Sat August 27, 2011

You know the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again?" Well, Pat Gallant-Charette certainly does. Last Monday, on her third attempt since 2008, the 60-year-old from Westbrook, Maine, swam across the English Channel in less than 16 hours. Host Scott Simon talks with Gallant-Charette, who is now the oldest American woman to swim the English Channel.

Sports

7:00 am

Sat August 27, 2011

The bright lights and raucous crowds of the U.S. Open are here, but this year, the talent isn't shining. In baseball, the front-runners are pulling ahead of the also-running, just before the last month of the season. Host Scott Simon talks sports with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine.

Around the Nation

7:00 am

Sat August 27, 2011

SCOTT SIMON, host: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Hurricane Irene has arrived. The storm has already struck parts of North Carolina. Some 200,000 people there are without power. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged caution as Irene moves up the East Coast.

Secretary JANET NAPOLITANO (HOMELAND SECURITY): Irene remains a large and dangerous storm. People need to take it seriously, people need to be prepared.

Around the Nation

7:00 am

Sat August 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene has reached the coast of North Carolina, bringing heavy rains and winds of 85 miles per hour. But there IS some good news. The storm is turning out to be less powerful than forecasters expected. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR science reporter John Hamilton about the latest on Hurricane Irene.

Around the Nation

7:00 am

Sat August 27, 2011

SCOTT SIMON, host: New York City officials have ordered the mandatory evacuation of roughly 370,000 people who live in low-lying areas of the city. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that everybody living there should be gone by 5 pm today.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: Now, we've never done a mandatory evacuation before and we wouldn't be doing it now if we didn't think this storm had the potential to be very serious.